The Simple Disciple Maker Plan 1
The simple Disciple Maker plan is summed up in a module teaching format which consists of one topic in each of one the three pursuits of Knowing God, Christian Character and Ministry being taught to complete a module cycle. For example:
Module 1
Lesson 1: Knowing God – a one month long teaching on one topic of Knowing God
Lesson 2: Christian Character - a one month long teaching on one topic of Character
Lesson 3: Ministry - a one month long teaching on one topic of Ministry
The three month long cycle repeats maintaining the format and changing the topics over the course of three years until the main 36 topics are learned, understood, experienced and practiced.
Module 2
Lesson 4: Knowing God – a one month long teaching on a second topic of knowing God
Lesson 5: Christian Character - a one month long teaching on a second topic of Character
Lesson 6: Ministry - a one month long teaching on a second topic of Ministry
And so on and so forth.
Following this module format keeps the growing disciple focused on being a well rounded & balanced one who is gaining the knowledge of God without loosing sight of Character and Ministry, it lays a strong balanced three cord foundation that can hold up in times of testing.
The three pursuits are each like a bird with two wings and requires both wings to be strong in order to fly well and not fly in circles.
Thus “Knowing God” is two fold; one wing is “Knowing about God” which we build by knowing the Bible. The other wing is “Experiencing God” which we build through developing an intimate relationship with God in our prayer life and interaction with HIM. If one wing is weak then our Knowing God will be a flight path of circles instead of soaring on the heights.
“Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary” Isaiah 40:31 NASB
It is possible to know the Bible and not know God. It is also possible to have many spiritual experiences and not know God.
Another problem could be knowing many things about the Bible and not knowing the Bible, some seminary graduates are like that for they know all sorts of things (Hebrew, Greek, Textual Criticism etc), but ask them what does the Bible say about x and they don’t know.
Jesus ran into some Pharisees and Sadducees like that who had PhD’s in Theology but not a clue as to what the Bible says.
“Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,' THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'?.... 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.” Matthew 21:42,45 NASB
“But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29 NASB
"You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” John 5:38-40 NASB
more later..
May the Lord Jesus make you into His Disciple today,
Disciple Maker
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Goal of Disciple Making
The Goal of Disciple Making
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NASB
Jesus desires that people of all nations will be made into his disciples. A disciple is not born as one but rather made into one and therefore Jesus commanded his servants to do the hard work necessary to make people into disciples of Jesus.
When referring to a disciple of Jesus this word disciple simple means a learner, student and follower of Jesus and we know there is a goal and destiny for such a student and follower of Jesus. A good disciple maker will keep that goal in mind until it is reached.
The goal is found in Ephesians 4:11-13:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” NASB
We can consolidate this into three main areas which will be our goal in making a disciple:
1. Knowing God – “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God;”
2. Christian Character - “to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ;”
3. Ministry – “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service.”
A disciple of Jesus is one who is learning to: Know God, be like Jesus in Character and Minister to others. A disciple maker is teaching the disciple those three things and making sure the disciple grows and reaches the goal of maturity in those three things.
“As a result, we are no longer to be children tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself )in love. Ephesians 4:14-16
Why do we see so much corruption, lack of love and lack of maturity in the Christian Church of our day?
One reason is clear, we no longer make disciples as we ought even though we do make many believers, seminary students, pastors and even build many church buildings. We must keep in mind a believer in Jesus is not a disciple of Jesus by merely being a believer nor is a seminary graduate a disciple of Jesus by merely being a graduate of religion, nor is a pastor a disciple of Jesus by merely preaching every Sunday and finally the size and luxury of a church building has nothing whatsoever to do with being or making disciples of Jesus; all of which may shock those who are not disciples. A disciple is distinctly different for Jesus did not say “Go and make believers, seminary graduates, pastors and build wonderful church buildings” but rather he said “go and make disciples”.
May the Lord Jesus make you into His Disciple today,
Disciple Maker
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NASB
Jesus desires that people of all nations will be made into his disciples. A disciple is not born as one but rather made into one and therefore Jesus commanded his servants to do the hard work necessary to make people into disciples of Jesus.
When referring to a disciple of Jesus this word disciple simple means a learner, student and follower of Jesus and we know there is a goal and destiny for such a student and follower of Jesus. A good disciple maker will keep that goal in mind until it is reached.
The goal is found in Ephesians 4:11-13:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” NASB
We can consolidate this into three main areas which will be our goal in making a disciple:
1. Knowing God – “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God;”
2. Christian Character - “to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ;”
3. Ministry – “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service.”
A disciple of Jesus is one who is learning to: Know God, be like Jesus in Character and Minister to others. A disciple maker is teaching the disciple those three things and making sure the disciple grows and reaches the goal of maturity in those three things.
“As a result, we are no longer to be children tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself )in love. Ephesians 4:14-16
Why do we see so much corruption, lack of love and lack of maturity in the Christian Church of our day?
One reason is clear, we no longer make disciples as we ought even though we do make many believers, seminary students, pastors and even build many church buildings. We must keep in mind a believer in Jesus is not a disciple of Jesus by merely being a believer nor is a seminary graduate a disciple of Jesus by merely being a graduate of religion, nor is a pastor a disciple of Jesus by merely preaching every Sunday and finally the size and luxury of a church building has nothing whatsoever to do with being or making disciples of Jesus; all of which may shock those who are not disciples. A disciple is distinctly different for Jesus did not say “Go and make believers, seminary graduates, pastors and build wonderful church buildings” but rather he said “go and make disciples”.
May the Lord Jesus make you into His Disciple today,
Disciple Maker
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